1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to cleaning systems for household appliances and, more particularly, to an upright refrigerator having at least one door mounted thereon and a refrigerator interior cleaning system which includes a pumping device and fluid transfer connection to a plurality of spray nozzles mounted within the refrigerator interior, a drain for removing the liquid from the interior of the refrigerator and a locking mechanism mounted on or adjacent the door for securely closing and making a fluid-tight seal between the door and the body of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern kitchen appliances are wonders of performance and efficiency compared to those appliances which were used previously. For example, today""s refrigerators can make ice, dispense water, and include a variety of other novel features which permit the storage of all kinds of foodstuffs. Today""s refrigerators include plexiglass shelves, spill-catching lips, and many other features of convenience which older refrigerators simply did not have. One thing that has not been addressed and corrected, however, is the fact that even the best spill-catching lip cannot catch every spill and, over the course of use of the refrigerator, the interior of the refrigerator will become stained, soiled, or otherwise dirtied from foodstuffs stored within the refrigerator. Currently, to effectively clean the interior of the refrigerator, one must remove all of the material from the inside of the refrigerator and hand wash each and every one of the shelves, drawers, and other elements of the interior of the refrigerator, a time-consuming chore to say the least. There is therefore a need for an improved system for cleaning the interior of a refrigerator.
Other types of household appliances, such as dishwashers and ovens, include self-cleaning mechanisms. Clearly, however, the self-cleaning mechanism used in an oven is not usable in a refrigerator situation, due to the intense heat levels required for proper cleaning of the oven. Perhaps, however, it would be possible to modify the cleaning mechanism found in a dishwasher for use in a refrigerator. Several examples in the prior art have attempted to utilize the spraying of water to clean the interior of a refrigerator, including Ibrahim, U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,414 and Yono et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,120, each of which disclose spray assemblies for refrigerated display cases of the kind commonly found in commercial situations. It is clear, however, that neither of these two devices provide a thorough cleaning of interior of the refrigerated space, much less cleaning each and every part of the interior refrigerated space, and thus do not completely solve the cleaning problem. Furthermore, use of the systems shown in Ibrahim and Yono et al. in a standard upright refrigerator would destroy the functionality of both of the devices as described besides not properly cleaning the interior of the refrigerator. There is therefore a need for a liquid spray cleaning mechanism for refrigerator interiors which is usable with upright refrigerators, completely and swiftly cleans the interior of the refrigerator and is relatively easy to use.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerator interior cleaning system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerator interior cleaning system which includes a plurality of spray nozzles mounted within the refrigerator, the spray nozzles connected to a pumping device in fluid transmission connection therewith such that activation of the pumping device causes fluid to shoot from the spray nozzles thus cleaning the interior of the refrigerator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism for the door of the refrigerator which provides a fluid-tight seal for the door to keep all cleaning fluids within the interior of the refrigerator during the cleaning process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerator interior cleaning system which includes a plurality of rotating or oscillating spray arms on the ends of which are a plurality of nozzles to provide enhanced cleaning for the interior of the refrigerator.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerator interior cleaning system which is relatively simple and durable in construction and is safe and efficient in use.
The present invention provides a refrigerator interior cleaning system including an upright refrigerator having an interior compartment and at least one door hingedly mounted thereon for closing the interior compartment. A plurality of spray nozzles are mounted within the interior compartment of the upright refrigerator, and a pumping device is connected to the plurality of spray nozzles in fluid transmission connection therewith. A drain is mounted within the interior compartment and extends outwards therefrom for draining fluid from within the interior compartment, and a door locking device is mounted on the upright refrigerator adjacent the door, the door locking device operative to lock the door in a closed position such that the door and the interior compartment cooperate to form a generally fluid-tight seal. Finally, the plurality of spray nozzles are operative to spray fluid therefrom into the interior compartment for cleaning the interior compartment of the upright refrigerator.
The refrigerator interior cleaning system of the present invention thus provides a substantial improvement over those systems found in the prior art. For example, in an upright refrigerator, the door must be sealed during cleaning to prevent the cleaning water from accidentally being discharged, a feature not found in the prior art. Furthermore, the use of high-pressure heated water will provide a far superior cleaning than other cleaning devices and systems found in the prior art. Also, the use of rotating cleaning arms such as those used in a dishwasher will increase the cleaning capabilities of the present invention, and the positioning of the arms immediately beneath each of the shelves will not interfere with the placing and storing of foodstuffs within the refrigerator. Finally, the positioning of the spray nozzles in various locations within the refrigerator will permit cleaning of the entire interior of the refrigerator, a result not accomplished by the prior art. It is thus seen that the refrigerator interior cleaning system of the present invention is superior and in fact unique when compared to those systems found in the prior art.